Google Music sells from now on MP3

The Mountain View giant finally tackles with Google Music, Amazon and Apple on the front of the sale of online music ... but only in the U.S. currently.

"Finally!" Some will say. Google opens its online music store from competing with Apple's iTunes and Amazon MP3 already well established in this market. Available in beta since last May only to U.S. Internet, the Google Music service provides each user a free storage space "in the cloud" is equivalent to 20,000 shares (or approximately 100 GB).

The music can then be stored and read in streaming wherever you are or from any computer, smartphone or tablet. But Google Music will now step further by proposing the sale of securities in MP3 320 Kbps via its online store and Android Market. Rates vary from 0.69 to $ 1.29 per share, the sale of albums is also planned, and some pieces are even available (live concerts, exclusive titles, etc..) History of attracting users. Google prides itself on offering 13 million shares to launch the service by offering the catalogs of three of the four largest music producers such as Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and EMI. Warner Music is missing but it is almost certain that if successful the new service from Google, it comes quickly to the ranks.

The independent labels are also not forgotten since 1000 of them have already signed with the giant net. The Google Music Artists Hub also allows independent, in exchange for $ 25, to create their page, upload and sell their works and themselves and hope to reach 70% of revenues. The service is available to all mobile devices running at least Android 2.2 (Froyo) but for now only the U.S. can benefit, no release date for France have been brought forward.

So we see that Google does not do things like everyone else and launched its service in reverse compared to what competitors have done. Indeed, Google has launched its first beta Music by inviting users to upload to their MP3 libraries (legal or not), before launching a commercial offer to sell music. The idea of course being to accustom people to the service and then encourage them to buy music legally that is automatically donated to their storage space online, without having to upload them there (like what Amazon offers ).

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PayPal: an idea gift via Facebook

How to avoid seeking a gift idea? Send a card with PayPal money directly through Facebook!

Paypal, a global leader in money transfer on the Internet, recently introduced an application using the Facebook API to send gift cards containing an amount of money chosen arbitrarily.

   

Moreover, the application page, called Send Money, is quite clear that it targets those in search of ideas for a birthday, for example. For the transfer function requires that both players have a Paypal account and live in one of 65 countries. Will it the killer application for this Christmas? Nothing is less certain, and we would hope that people - as geeky as they are - will have much better ideas to spoil their loved ones a transfer of virtual money ...

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Prixtel: the flexible low-cost of second generation

The agitator telecoms, as he likes to be called, introduces its new Adjustable package: Modulo 2.

After the release of low-cost offerings of the three incumbents (Sosh Orange, Red for B & SFR and Bouygues Telecom for You), we propose Prixtel to save money through supply Modulo second generation. As a reminder, Modulo is a non-binding modular package that fits based on the consumption of the customer to do this automatically receive the best value for him, and that from month to month. Without further ado, here are the newly proposed different levels:

Prixtel states that these levels are presented for information only. For example, if you eat 29 minutes, 700 SMS and 1 MB of data, the basic package will be the one to 12 € Add to that the price of MB and more. This does not necessarily move to level at € 24.90 because you mistakenly used the Web application on your mobile. For aficionados of the mobile Internet, the modem mode, or VoIP is included.


A partnership has also been reached with Cetelem to enable prospective customers wishing to purchase a mobile pay four times the toll rate in the credit card used in the subscription package or Chrono Modulo.

A half-word, we could obtain valuable information. Prixtel is being negotiated to add to this package access to 14 million WiFi hotspots his business partner SFR network on which all this rests MVMO. It would be good news for subscribers Prixtel.

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Chart Music 2.0: twice less budget

Map Music sees its budget be cut in half, despite the Minister of Culture to restart the device.

As we told you there is little the launch of the Music Card 2.0, deployed with a more ambitious media plan and the appearance of a physical map that will be sold in supermarkets, MPs just deal a severe blow to the device expensive Frederic Mitterrand, minister of culture. Indeed, Members felt that the Music Card is not effective to boost the supply of legal downloading, and is not legitimate because it does not really support the creation and talent.

So, they voted an amendment to the budget law that cuts to the Music Map 10.9 million budget. It must be said that the budget allocated 25 million euros last year the device is far from being fully utilized due to lack of success for the first version of Music Card (only 50,000 copies sold for a third of the budget used) . A budget that, as a reminder, finance 50% of face value subsidized by the state (the card € 50 to spend on legal download partner costing € 25).

This year's budget had to be 20 million euros to allow the device to take off Music Card. Frédéric Mitterrand will settle for half but can count on the campaign, the new website and physical maps to transform the operation into a success ...

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Towards a democratization of welded chart SIM…

According to the French leader in the SIM chip soldered democratization is inevitable ...

Our colleagues at Business-Mobile, who were DigiWorld Summit of the Idate, were able to attend the lecture given by Gemalto, the French leader of the SIM card. Gemalto announced that under pressure from manufacturers, welded to the SIM card phone is poised to become more democratic. The first discussions on the subject had appeared while we lent to Apple's desire to weld the iPhone's SIM card (in conjunction with the arrival of the iPhone CDMA). A rumor that has been debate, and Apple has finally opted for the micro-SIM ... for now.

For Gemalto is formal, "embedded SIM card, welded to the terminal will become a reality in the short term." Why? "Simply because it is a strong demand from manufacturers that provide terminals for ever. They need more space to incorporate larger batteries. Eventually, even the microSIM be too large because the connectors. The SIM welded around this problem with its finesse and size 5 out of 6 mm. "

Main consequence of this change, remote management of the subscription as operators must rely on information provided to them by manufacturers. Each phone with a unique identifier to be added to the customer base will enable the operator to access the information in this SIM welded. Because the SIM is a small chip that contains both the operator profile, the profile of the subscriber, and can even pick a few "applications" such as NFC. Therefore, once welded to the terminal operators could lose some of their flexibility.

These will need to send the information by the network client and subscription to the terminal. This is not without changing the habits of mobile users, for example when reselling a telephone. It is not enough to remove the SIM card from the terminal to keep its line ... Same abroad, impossible to buy a SIM card "local" and enjoy on their mobile. And when the phone goes down, its impossible to chip in another. A priori, the answer lies in the remote management of its line and its terminals, via online interfaces specifically developed. One possibility as Gemalto, concedes that it will necessarily educate consumers. Also, how soon will he for the change of allocation to a terminal line is taken into account by the operator? With the SIM is instantaneous.

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WordPress: 250.000$ support VIP

The richest WordPress users at a professional level are offered a new formula for VIP support.

 

WordPress continues to become more professional and, if it is one of the blog platforms open-source the most popular with amateur publishers, it is also increasingly used by businesses, media groups, public figures ... Many WordPress users a professional who may wish to have access to advanced services for a fee of course. As such, Automattic (WordPress platform editor) opens a new support service for its customers "VIP".

Available to all account holders WordPress (. Com or. Org), this support is offered VIP from $ 250,000 a year and requires the use of a web portal dedicated. It includes a support infrastructure, an annual audit of security with customization of the anti-spam, or an annual activity, as well as training of staff working on the platform point of view technique. One way for WordPress to enter "the big boys", offering a professional solution that has proven content publishers who can afford it.

Of course, the vast majority of WordPress users will continue to be satisfied with the free open-source platform as it is. It should be noted also that WordPress accounts for about 30% of sites available online and claims 500 million blog entries every day to one billion unique visitors monthly. And if WordPress Launches VIP support at a price so high, it is also because according to his data, using the platform professional publishers have seen their incomes double last year

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Hard drives: prices drop some as of December

The retention of hard drives by wholesalers could soften and forces of supply and demand calls for lower prices. Bodes well ...

The floods in Thailand have completely changed the hard drive market, the country accounting for 25% of world production record companies and major parts suppliers (such as Nidec, which manufactures the engines rotation) will be unable to turn their factories.

Result, the shortage threat and return to normal production soon ... While the prices of hard drives have exploded, which is not without repercussions on the rest of the industry, among integrators who see their stock market decline and inevitably affected component.

Currently, it is expected therefore primarily new leading manufacturer with plants located in Thailand, like Western Digital, 60% of production is carried out in the country. News that did not really reassuring, since we previously spoke of a shortage is expected to reach its highest level in the first quarter of 2012 ...

Fortunately, the news is better. Indeed, if we are to believe the DigiTimes, wholesalers who jumped on the stocks, nourishing the general panic and contributing to skyrocketing prices, already begin to replenish so reassuring. So that we learn that they should start doing the sorting in their inventories in the coming weeks, so make concessions in scaling back their prices today. At all good for the consumer, according to the Asian site, is expected to affect the return to lower prices in the month of December.

The forces of supply and demand plays in favor of lower prices. Sources from the circuit vendors of hard disks believe that the expectations have been more alarmist than is actually the situation, and that the return to normal was planned for mid-2012 could ultimately place in January or February 2012. One of the plants Nidec was able to resume full production and other suppliers of hard disk manufacturers are now solutions to improve their returns on the lines that work. It only remains to hope that prices come down as fast as they are mounted, which is never easy ...

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